Give dignitaries like CY Leung VIP treatment for airport security? Regina Ip sees no problem
But New People’s Party chairwoman says she’d have to check about ordinary folk
Hong Kong’s “first family” and other VIPs such as the British foreign secretary deserve special treatment to have their luggage delivered to them in restricted airport areas if the items are accidentally left outside, according to a former security minister.
But regular folk are on their own, implied Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, chairwoman of the New People’s Party, during an RTHK programme on Sunday.
Asked if a resident of a public housing estate deserved such special services at the airport, Ip said it would depend on what the luggage contained.
Left luggage saga: Hong Kong aviation insiders say airlines have power to help passengers like they did with chief executive’s daughter
“I’d need to find out,” she said. “I don’t know if you’re on an undercover mission. Of course I’d have to follow the rules. I think that’s how we should draw the distinction.”
Last week, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was accused of exerting pressure on Hong Kong International Airport staff to bypass security and deliver a piece of luggage to his 23-year-old daughter Leung Chung-yan, who was at a boarding gate at the time.
The chief executive has denied any wrongdoing.
He insisted that, if he had wanted to intervene, he would have called the airline’s senior management or airport security an hour before her daughter’s March 28 flight departed for San Francisco.